Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (MS)
Puttur, Dec 16: In a shocking incident, two labourers who were repairing the electric line were injured due to the electric shock in the city.
On Saturday, December 15, ten people of Aravind electrical contracting company of Bengaluru, along with the MESCOM personnel were doing the binding work of the LT line in front of the Mai De Deus church on the main road of the city. One person who was on the pole got thrown onto the ground due to the electric shock, while the other was sitting on the pole itself for about 10 minutes. Both were taken to hospital later.
The labourers who got injured in the mishap are resident of Sooralli village of Kasivinahalli taluk of Nanjanagud near Mysuru. Ravi (19), who was thrown from the pole has recuperated after being treated in the hospital. The other labourer, Basava Nayak (30), who was sitting on the pole itself after the shock is seriously injured.
Inhumane behaviour of Mescom staff
When Basava Nayak, the labourer was still sitting after the electric shock, other labourers climbed the pole and tried to bring him down with the help of a rope. During this effort, the MESCOM personnel did not help in anyway but only guided the guys. This led to public outcry on the spot. After the public outrage, the MESCOM staff also climbed the electric pole and helped in bringing the injured contract labourer down.
As this incident took place in the heart of the city, the traffic got jammed for more than half an hour. The co-workers of the injured labourers had a tough time shifting them to hospital in an auto rickshaw due to the traffic congestion.
There was no electric power in the city as well as some rural areas due to the repair work of the electric lines. It is not known how even after disconnecting the power, the labourers got the electric shock.
Giving clarification on the incident, Ramachandra, assistant executive engineer, said, "Electrical power was disconnected during the repair. However, due to the use of inverters and generators and there is automatic changeovers in them the labourers have got the shock due to the return current in them. There is no danger. As the labourer did not eat anything right from the morning, he felt dizzy and weak. Now both have recovered and will be discharged within a day from the hospital."